


Crime of Passion

by I_Dont_Like_I_Obsess



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crimes & Criminals, F/M, Romance, Suspense, Thriller, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 04:10:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11661351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Dont_Like_I_Obsess/pseuds/I_Dont_Like_I_Obsess
Summary: Nothing brings people closer together than mutual pain and a bit of danger. Two criminals, one goal. Get the hell out of the country and start over. It felt like the whole world was against them, but Lexi and Law had not come this far to give up now. Unfortunately, nothing stays easy forever, and a single mistake can cost you everything. Modern Criminal AU.





	Crime of Passion

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot is inspired by the song 'Partners In Crime.' If you'd like, listen to that for some background music towards the end.

_You'll never take us alive._

_We swore that death would do us part,_

_They'll call our crimes a work of art._

The brunette woman sitting in the passenger seat of the old, beat-up green van cocked her head and turned the radio down a bit, examining the little gas station across from them and, more importantly, their surroundings behind the lenses of her sunglasses. As far as she knew they were somewhere west of Amarillo, following Route 66. Miles of empty highway to either side of her, rarely a car to pass. They hadn't seen another soul in over an hour.

The establishment itself was small, obviously run by no more than a handful of people at most. Old and worn gas pumps, beneath a standing cover that had faded so much you could no longer read the name of the place on it's side. Wrapping the very top of the building was what she could only assume to be blue paint, though the dust and sun fade had left it more than a slightly-tinted white strip around the concrete brick building.

"So? What do you think, Lex?" The driver asked, leaning down a little to inspect the place for himself. He rested one hand on the steering wheel, foot still on the brake, waiting on her to decide. They could both feel the put of the motor as it idled on the side of the road.

"Hmm." She hummed for a moment, seeing no reason _not_ to choose this one over the others they'd passed earlier that same day. "Best place we've seen today. It'll do."

"Alright, hang tight." He said, checking the road just in case, before slowly driving over to the parking lot in front of the store of the station. He shoved the gear into park, taking out the keys from the ignition. Beside him, his female companion pulled the hair band from her head, releasing her brown locks. She redid the fastening and wiped the sweat from her skin, feeling the high temperature making her hair stick to the back of her neck. His eyes followed a bead of sweat that rolled down her neck and into the collar of her shirt, eventually lowering to the front of her shirt.

"My eyes are up here." She said in amusement, elbowing him in the side to get him to stop. Laughing under his breath, he leaned in to kiss her swiftly, before pulling the handle to the driver's side door.

The couple opened the doors of the van and hopped out, slamming them perhaps a little harder than they'd intended. Above them the Texas sun beat down unforgivingly. As the day progressed, the intensity of the heat increased. Not wasting any more time than was necessary out in this burning temperature, they hurried over to the door and stepped into the convenient store, a bell tinkling against the glass as they entered.

The inside was thankfully air conditioned, a wave of pleasantness wafted over her as she passed the threshold of the place, and she smiled softly. The tank top and shorts meant most of her body was cooled at once from the AC. Her sneakers squeaked a little against the tiled floor when she turned down one of the aisles.

Entering just behind her, Trafalgar Law eyed the cashier that had noticed them enter, and nodded silently, turning to follow Lexi as they wandered to the back of the store. At the back was the refrigerated section with the cold drinks and bottled beer. Feeling rather parched, Law perused the selection, wondering how long it would take Lexi to find what she needed to.

"Huh. This place might be a lot better than I first thought." She muttered, nodding her head towards the corner of the room. "Only one camera back here, and one up front. Won't take too long."

"What's the fun in that? I like a little challenge every once in awhile." He replied with a smirk, proud of how quickly she'd determined such information. Each time, Lexi was getting more proficient at spotting the little details like that.

During the few minutes they'd spent pretending to look over the selection of drinks and other assorted snack foods, no one else had entered the store or appeared from hidden places in the back. It looked like they were well and truly the only two in the establishment, but he knew Lexi would want to check that for herself later.

In response to his statement, she scoffed, shrugging a little. "Sure, _you_ do. But I've got to keep you in check, and that's not too easy when you get caught up in the big things. There's a finesse to all this, you know. Little details to take care of."

"Well," his smirk widened, and he sauntered closer to her, "aren't I lucky I've got someone with just the _finesse_ I need."

Lexi backed up a step, placing her back to one of the glass doors displaying drinks. She shivered, both from the cold surface on her skin and the way Law looked at her. Her eyes narrowed, watching as his hands moved to cradle her face intimately. His face came closer, before that sarcastic mouth of his brushed against hers.

Body pressing her further into the glass, she reached up to grip his shirt, fingers burying themselves in the material as they kissed, forgetting where exactly they were for the moment. Racks of food and other items were in the way of seeing the cashier, so they didn't have an audience at the very least. Still, at the back of her mind she was sure that he could at least hear the sounds of their embrace. Oh well, not like she cared much.

After several moments of losing themselves in the other, they pulled away, and Lexi hummed in satisfaction, eyes still closed as she rested her forehead on his.

"Afterwards, I'll show you _just_ how much finesse I have. Got that?"

Smirking, Law slowly released her with a nod. They drew apart, and Lexi opened the nearest glass door, pulling the first drink within reach and let it shut behind her, leading the both of them up towards the cashier again. Law, hands in his pockets, hung back a few steps so he could witness his partner at work. It always fascinated him how smoothly she could talk her way through a situation.

The cashier perked up upon seeing them approach, and gave a small smile. "Find everything alright?"

"You bet." Came her response.

Lexi, whose legs looked quite lovely from Law's angle in those short shorts of hers, gently placed the bottle of soda she'd grabbed and leaned against the counter in a friendly manner. "It must get pretty lonely, huh? Working all the way out here by yourself."

The older man, scanning the bottle of soda against the bar code reader, gave a chuckle. "Ah, sometimes. Usually I've got my niece here to help manage the store, but she's got the day off today so it's just me." Next he reached for a bag to put the drink in. "Gives me some time to myself, so I don't mind."

"Huh, that's a shame…" Lexi muttered to herself, expressing a look of sympathy. The cashier drew his brows down, not quite understanding what she meant. Then, she straightened from the counter, tugging the tank top up a bit to cover more of her cleavage. "Could you point me to the restroom?"

"Sure, it's right over there. The women's is on the left side." He gestured to a slightly hidden back hallway that ran beside where the counter ended. She smiled sweetly and walked away, leaving Law to step up and take her place at the counter. Once she was out of earshot, he pointed up to the display behind the man.

"How much for the lights?"

The cashier turned in place, inspecting his merchandise himself. "$7.37 a pack. What's your poison?"

"Marlboro, but you know…ah, I really shouldn't. Been trying to quit." He rubbed the back of his head, finally shaking it in finality. The cashier cracked a grin, nodding in understanding.

"A Marlboro man myself. Took me 4 years to come off them. Just keep at it and think of your girl. That's what helped me."

Law hummed neutrally, seeming to take the man's advice, but not willing to speak any more on the subject. He was never as good as his female companion at the talking aspect of these things.

"Alright, $1.98." The cashier said, waiting for the man to predictably pull out his wallet to pay. Patiently, he waited, watching as the man reaching for his back pocket. Feeling the affects of the long day wearing on him, he went to yawn, but the blood ran cold as he heard the click of a pistol's hammer being pulled back, spotting the metal weapon in the man's hand—pointed straight at his head.

"I certainly hope that's not all you have in there." The man grinned with mirth, eyes flicking to the register. "I'll need a bit more than that to convince me not to shoot you."

Raising his hands in surrender, voice getting caught in his throat, the cashier took a step back, his back hitting the display of cigarettes just behind him. Then, finally finding his voice, he stuttered out a plea. "P-please d-don't shoot! I'll give you what you want. Just don't shoot!"

"Fill the bag with everything you've got. And, uh, you know what? Get me a pack of lights too. To hell with it." He gestured to the plastic bag he'd provided for the bottle of soda. Nodding frantically, the cashier moved to do as he said, turning to grab the nearest pack and stuffed it into the bag.

Then, he turned back to face the young man, trying to memorize the face that was behind the gun. Hands shaking, the man opened the register. It sprung out with a loud mechanical sound, but just as he reached forward to pull the money out, all the while secretly drifting his other hand downward to press the silent alarm that would alert the police that there was a situation, another click pulled his attention to the side, where the young woman from before was standing, holding another weapon at his head.

"Push that button and it'll be the last thing you do."

He froze, the fear doubling with two barrels being pointed at his face, at least one of the criminals looking like they were keen on pulling the trigger. The woman stepped forward, roughly grabbing his shoulder, causing him to yelp in fright, and shoved him away from the counter back towards where it opened up to become the store. "Keep him over there, babe."

"You got it." Law said, all too happy to move forward and grab the cashier by the jacket, shoving him further into the store so he wasn't anywhere near the counter. "All clear back there?"

"Yup. There wasn't anyone in the bathrooms or back room, and I was able to pull the tapes for the cameras." Satisfied that the alarm hadn't been tripped, Lexi holstered her gun into the back of her shorts, pulling all the money she could from the register and piling it in the plastic bag he'd provided for them. In the corner, she heard Law chuckle, and the cashier whimper in fear. Rolling her eyes, she ignored it for the time being.

Checking underneath the till for the bigger bills, she smiled at seeing several hundreds tucked away at the back. The register closed with a loud clunk as Lexi slammed it shut. The bag was now nicely filled with whatever cash the man had at hand. She tied the two handles together at the top so nothing would accidentally fall out.

"How much?" Law called, keeping his eyes on his hostage, who looked to be on the verge of crying.

"$481. Enough to last us awhile." Then, her eyes took in the couple packs of dented cigarette boxes in the other bag. Frowning, she gave a frustrated glance at her partner. "Babe, you said you'd quit."

"Alright, alright. Fine." Hearing the resignation in his voice, she tossed out the packs of cancer sticks and put the soda inside instead.

Grabbing another empty bag, Lexi wandered off back towards the food and drinks, bypassing the terrified cashier and her lover who was obviously having a good time. "Anything in particular you want me to get us?" The brunette asked, knowing sometimes her partner could be a picky eater.

"Whatever you want, Lex." He called out, and she smiled to herself, never tired of hearing that nickname from him. It would be a long trip until they stopped again, so she stocked up on whatever snacks and drinks that would fit in the bag. Chips, cookies, sodas, and a six pack of beer just for later that night. They didn't need much, just what would be good for a few days of driving, and a little more just in case.

Carrying the two bags in the crooks of her elbows, Lexi took out her gun again and aimed upwards at the surveillance camera in the corner. The shot from her gun was loud in the little store, and the man cried out louder in fright from his corner. Shooting a second time just to be sure it wasn't salvageable, Lexi moved onto the second camera in the front, giving it the same treatment.

"Alright, all set. Let's get a move on." Lexi said, brushing the empty bullet casings from her spent ammo underneath the aisle so it wouldn't be found as easily. What she didn't expect, well, only somewhat, was to hear three rapid shots from Law's gun at the front of the store, followed by a male scream. Lexi jumped at the sound, not prepared to hear it, before wandering to the front. The cashier was lain on the ground, three bullet wounds in his chest. None of them were a clear fatal shot, and his pained groaning confirmed he was still alive.

"You're not going to just kill him? There's no need to waste the bullets. Plus, he might survive, and we don't want a witness." Lexi pursed her lips, spotting the flecks of blood that covered her lover. It wasn't an unfamiliar sight, she just wondered why he felt the need to constantly be getting the stuff on his clothes. They spent a good bit of their cash to buy him new things to wear, only for him to ruin them yet again.

Law stared down at the man, lazily pointing the gun at his chest, as if he were going to fire off another round. The cashier tried to inch away, but he stepped on the man's stomach, putting pressure on the fresh wounds and causing him to let out a strangled scream of pain.

"I'll kill him eventually. It's just more fun this way." Law said. Then, he turned to look up at her with a distant expression, as if somewhere else. "You get to steal the stuff you want. I get to play with the ones _I_ want. You know that's how it works."

She didn't miss the tiny flicker of cold disregard, daring her to tell him to stop. For as much as she loved the man, she couldn't stop the tiny shutter of fear that prickled her back. Behind that laid-back demeanor lay a sadist she couldn't ever hope to sate. Finally, Lexi sighed, but turned to head out the door. "Fine. Just hurry it up, I want to leave."

He nodded without a word and she made her way back out to the van, bags of cash and sustenance in hand. The sweltering heat felt so much worse after being inside an air conditioned building for so long, and she huffed at the change in temperature. So much for staying cool today.

Something pasted to the glass window beside her caught her attention. She stopped, spotting the familiar posters of crude sketches of a man and a woman. Because of Lexi's actions, the police had yet to get an accurate description of the two partners, leaving nothing more than vague guesses as to what they looked like. Smirking a little, she ripped the two papers off the glass and stuffed them in one of the bags, continuing on her way to their vehicle.

Opening the van, she found the inside still held some of the remnant cooler air that had been blowing on them before stopping here. Lexi tossed the bags into the bag of the van, careful not to break the bottles of beer.

Piling herself into her usual passenger seat, she waited for several minutes, closing her eyes as that sleepy lull began to drag her eyes closed. Before long, she heard another gunshot, just a single one, and Law returned outside. His gun was tucked back into his waist and he dug the keys to the van from his pocket.

Lexi lazily turned her head to look at him as he climbed into the van and shut his door. The ignition took a few times to turn over, but suddenly roared back to life as the key was turned. Changing gear into reverse, Law flashed her a satisfied grin. "Picked a nice place, Lex."

"Well, duh. There was nobody for miles. Even amateurs wouldn't pass up that opportunity."

He laughed under his breath, then noticed her blink rapidly. "Tired?"

"Yeah, maybe I'll take a nap…" She yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "Are we stopping anywhere specific tonight?"

"Nah, I figured we'd just drive into the evening, then find somewhere to pull off." He maneuvered the van around the parking lot, pausing to check for cars before picking up speed in the direction they were originally going. The highway was much smoother than the gas station parking lot, and Lexi settled into her seat further.

"Sounds good to me. Just wake me up if you want a switch, ok?"

"Sure thing. Get some rest."

Lexi closed her eyes again, lulled into sleep by the gentle put of the van and the world rushing past her as they drove on.

* * *

"Hey, Law?" Lexi muttered, curled up into her companion's chest in the back of their van. The mattress beneath them shifted a little when she did, but they were used to it by now. The night cast the back in darkness. Though it would normally leave her feeling anxious, the brunette felt safe and warm in the arms of her partner, who pulled her a little closer on their makeshift bed.

"What is it?" He grumbled, half asleep beside her. His eyes remained closed, though simply the act of protectively squeezing her hip with his fingers helped to calm whatever worries she'd had in her head. Somewhat.

"After we get enough…we're still going take the first plane outta here, right? Get away from it all? And…you'll still be here with me, right?"

Law blearily blinked away the sleep, opening his pupils a crack to look at her in confusion. "What's with all the questions, Lex? You know that's always been the plan. Nothing's changed."

She heard the true confusion in his voice, and felt a little silly even vocalizing her tiny, hidden fears in the first place. "Okay…just wanted to make sure." Apparently, that wasn't enough of an explanation for him though.

"Something the matter?"

Lexi fidgeted in place, trying to tug the blanket covered their naked bodies up a little higher to cover her shoulders. The cold air from outside got in through the doors somehow, no matter how tight the seal may be. She shivered from the cold. "Nah, nothing specific…just a…bad feeling. It's hard to explain exactly."

"Gut feeling?"

"Yeah…"

Law groaned, shifting in place to place a gentle kiss at her temple, then lower on her lips. Lexi's eyes closed instinctively, always able to distract herself from her worries with a single touch from this man. Perhaps it should have worried her more that he held so much power over her, but in Law's hands, she trusted her life and heart were safe.

"Don't you worry about a thing. Once we're out of the country, we'll find somewhere by the ocean, and you can have that fairy tale life you always talked about. You can write all the stories you want and get rich from all the publishing, and I'll be as far away from that bastard as possible." His sentence trailed off bitterly.

Lexi ran her fingers more gently across his chest, trying to calm him down, then sighed softly. "I still don't understand why you don't just cut all ties with him. He's not even your real dad."

"I've tried, Lex. No matter how many times I do, he always has a way of tracking us down somehow. He's got too many fingers in too many fucking pies, and all he does is taunt me like it's some damn game. I'm sick of it." He glared in her general direction, but she felt he was really looking past her, and that the anger wasn't meant for her.

"Well, how do you know he won't find us when we leave?"

"This time, we're going completely off the grid. Cash only, no bank accounts and nothing that ties back to us. I've got a guy waiting over there with some fake id's and whatever we need. We'll change our names and start over."

"Why not do that right now? Change our identities and just stay here?" She asked, then felt him sigh.

"We're already in too deep in too many places. There's too many people who know us here. Sooner or later, it would fall through." That intense expression from before lightened up though, as if seeing her there beside him again. He smiled softly, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear gently. "Once we're out, though, it'll all be a fresh start. You can be whoever you want with a cat or dog or a few kids if that's what you'd like. A couple more big hits and we'll have enough to go anywhere want."

Lexi's cheeks heated up at something he'd mentioned, and she was glad the darkness hid the color. "…Kids?"

Law smiled, pulling her into another, more heated kiss. Sighing into their joined lips, Lexi wound her fingers into his hair, trying to feel him closer. "As many as you want." He whispered heatedly, and she giggled into their kiss, dragging her nails down his exposed chest.

Law rolled them over with a groan, looming above her in the dark as his mouth trailed away from hers, going lower and lower down her jaw until they sucked evenly at her neck, not caring if it would leave yet another bruise on top of the numerous others that littered her skin from earlier in the day.

Lexi breathlessly panted and gasped at the feeling, wrapping her legs around his waist to try bringing them closer. Forgetting all about her worries and fears from before, lost in his touch and his breath fanning against her chest as he travelled lower, Lexi felt much more inclined to simply forget the world around her and pretend that he was all there was.

* * *

"Babe, take the picture already! It's hot!" Lexi continued smiling, holding up a peace sign as she stood next to the 'Arizona: The Grand Canyon State Welcomes You!' sign off the side of the road. Law grinned, holding up the camera and squinting into the screen to try to see where it was aiming. The sun glared directly into the screen and Law tried shielding it from the rays.

"…got it." He said, snapping a few consecutive pictures just in case they missed or turned out blurry. Lowering the camera, Lexi jogged to return to his side, and she scrolled through the ones he'd taken.

"Nice!" She said, flicking through the best ones and deleting the pictures that didn't quite make the cut. Feeling a wave of heat sweep over him again, Law gestured back to the vehicle again.

"Let's get the hell to Flagstaff already. We can get an actual hotel room and you can take a long shower."

Pouting, Lexi trekked back to the van which was parked just off the highway where they'd pulled over, and gave a 'hmph.' "Are you trying to say I stink?"

"Most definitely-Ow!" He sent her a playful glare when she shoved him against the side of the van, snatching the keys from his pocket in the same move. Giggling, she jogged away to the other side to take the wheel this time.

"Don't you know better than to insult a woman?" She shouted, clambering into the vehicle just before him. He shrugged, letting her take over for a few hours. He'd been driving for most of the morning, only taking a break to stop somewhere for them to eat lunch. They were running low on snacks from that gas station awhile back.

The sound of the van starting up snapped him from his thoughts. Lexi brought it into drive and checked her rearview mirror, waiting until the cars zooming past left a big enough gap in the traffic to pull back in safely.

For awhile, they enjoyed the companionable silence that rested between them, neither feeling the need to talk. Law glanced over every once in awhile to watch her behind the wheel. It was funny, really. Had his guys from back then told him he'd be traveling thousands of miles, robbing gas stations and banks with a beautiful woman like her, bent on getting the hell out of the country, he'd have laughed and told them they were fucking delusional. Just the sight of her sometimes felt like little more than a dream.

Her brown hair, kept up in a hair tie as usual, cascaded down her back, almost reaching halfway down to her ass. Those big green eyes, which he'd reluctantly wondered how he could ever see a pair like that again without thinking of her, were glued to the road, but they eventually turned to glance at him, seeming to feel his eyes staring at her from the passenger seat. "Something up, babe?"

For a moment he didn't answer, just continued to look at her in appreciation. Had it really only been a few months since they'd started this crazy path of freedom and redemption? So little time had passed since he'd first met her, and yet it seemed like a lifetime…

In his mind's eye, Law could still see the tear-filled eyes brimming with adoration and awe that he could never begin to hope to understand that she saw in him. The way she looked at him, as if he was everything. What did she see, when she looked at him? There was no way they were seeing the same face, feeling the same hands that had killed on multiple occasions. He wasn't ashamed of who he was or what he did, but why on earth would somebody else think that he was worth so much?

The brunette snapped her fingers several times, until he blinked the fog in his eyes away and looked back to her. "Everything ok?" She asked in concern, and he cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah. Just thinking."

Before she could ask anything further, the phone in Law's pocket blared his ringtone. Knowing it could only really be one person, he dug it out and swiped the screen without looking at the contact. Unfortunately.

"What?" He greeted, expecting to hear his friend's familiar voice, but instead the cold laugh of the one man he'd rather never see again struck his ears.

"Aren't you supposed to be on the run? I'm surprised you even picked up the phone. I thought you were a bit smarter than that."

That amused laugh, which he knew was coming from a twisted grin he knew all too well, Law straightened in his seat and clenched his fist together. The scowl left even Lexi feeling concerned for what he'd do next. "How the fuck did you get this number?"

"It's not that hard when you own a portion of the communication industry. Of course, I own a little bit of everything, really. But that's not what I called to talk about." Doflamingo continued, seeming to ignore the anger in Law's voice. "You know you can't keep this up forever. As your father-"

" _You don't get the damn right to call yourself that."_ Law hissed, and Doflamingo's chuckle was the only thing he heard in response. "Not after all the shit you've done to me and to _him."_

"Corazon died in an accident, Law."

"Bullshit!"

"There is no existing evidence that I had a hand in killing him, despite your insistence that I did." Despite not being able to see his face, Law just _knew_ the man on the other end was grinning with mirth, toiling in the cover up and lies he'd twisted to protect himself.

"I'm done with you." Law said, just about to hang up the phone, but Doflamingo spoke again before he could.

"Watch what you say, brat. I've got all the influence in the world to take you out in less than an hour. I'm giving you a last chance to decide to come back into the… _family business_ on your own. Wouldn't want anything happening to that lovely lady you've got, now would you?"

Law glanced briefly at Lexi, who silently waited for Law to finish the call, but grinned despite himself. Doflamingo's threats no longer scared him as they did years ago. "As soon as you start pulling strings and have me arrested, the fact that you've got connections to a gang being publicized would tank your 'respectable' multimillion dollar corporations. Wouldn't want a ' _delinquent nephew-turned-step-son'_ to ruin your perfect image. So stuff it with the threats. If I'm going down, you sure as hell are going with me."

There was a long silence on the other end, and Law just hung up the call, not bothering to wait to hear anything else the man might have to say. He may have had the last word, but the anger from before reared up again, and Law rubbed at his face, squeezing the phone in his hand. Then, knowing it could easily be tracked if Doflamingo felt the risk was worth the reward, Law rolled down the window to the van and chucked the little device into the countryside as they flew by, rolling it back up once the deed was done.

"Fuck him…" Law muttered, and Lexi sighed.

"Sometimes it just feels like it'll never end…"

"Come on, Lex, don't think like that." He reached for her hand and she allowed him to take it from the wheel, leaving her steering with the other free one. "He may think he has us cornered, but once we're out of the country, he won't be able to find us. I mean, he has no idea we even plan on leaving."

"Yeah…" She said, unconvinced. Knowing that Doflamingo wasn't the only thing on her mind now, he gave the back of her hand a gentle kiss.

"And those shit excuses for parents of yours won't ever touch you again. I swear on my fucking life, Lex."

Lexi remained silent, though he could see her eyes beginning to well up with emotion as she continued staring out along the road. Knowing she didn't like talking about it much, he dropped the topic but kept hold of her hand, rubbing circles into her skin in an attempt to calm her down. For as resilient as she was, when it came to what they'd done to her, she was surprisingly sensitive.

* * *

Law lead his partner into the liquor store, turning back to give her a suggestive glance. Lexi rolled her eyes, shoving him shoulder a little with a laugh.

"Alright, fine. Whatever you want." She gave in, already starting her hunt for the security cameras in the corners.

Satisfied that tonight would be a good night, Law sauntered his way past the counter, and the man standing behind it gave them a friendly nod. "Evening, you two. Special occasion of any kind?"

"Oh, just thought a nice bottle of wine would set the mood is all." Lexi replied flippantly, not bothering to glance at him as she perused the selection. She'd always enjoyed a nice, smooth white. Though she knew Law would rather drown his memory in a hard red, or better yet, a six pack of beer. Still, Lexi liked to believe her tastes were a bit more refined.

"Well, let me know if you need anything."

Law, predictably, wandered over to the harder scotches and vodkas, wondering if Lexi would partake in some shots with him later, or if she'd stick to her slow-burning wines as usual. He wondered how she found enjoyment in something that didn't immediately knock you out. "You get many customers this time of night?" He ventured to ask, sparing the man a look over his shoulder.

The man coughed into his elbow, before shaking his head and clearing his throat. "Not as of late. Get closer to the holiday season and that'll change." He gave a chuckle, keeping a lazy eye on each member of the couple in the store. He was a businessman first and a citizen second, but neither really looked to be up to anything funny. They looked young and nice enough. "Most of my regulars come by right after work and pick up their liquid courage for the night."

"Huh." Law nodded slowly, eyes wandering around the shop. No one other than the shop owner in sight. Just as Lexi thought.

"We'll be closing in about twenty minutes here, but take your time. Some company makes the closing shift go by a bit faster." The man smiled, settling in on his stool behind the counter. There was soft music playing overhead, almost too quiet to notice until it became silent again. Law and Lexi, each at different points in the store, looked over the man's wares quietly.

"You folks ever been through Kingman before?" He continued, and the woman wandered back up to the front with two bottles in her hand. One was a Moscato, and the other a Pinot Noir.

"Nope. We're both from the east coast, truthfully. Haven't seen much of the west before." She placed the two bottles on the counter, then turned to see her partner still standing in front of the harder liquors. "You almost done, babe?"

"Just hold on, Lex."

Lexi rolled her eyes, leaning heavily on the counter. "I'm always holding on. You take forever."

"Well, you're always in too much of a rush. Maybe try cooling your jets a bit there." He called a bit louder. Frowning, Lexi crossed her arms, glaring in his direction.

"Don't yell at me."

"You're the one yelling at me." He countered.

Standing off to the side, the store owner sighed to himself and tried looking out the window. It was a bit awkward, being witness to a lover's quarrel in an otherwise empty store. There was nothing to occupy himself with even while they continued bickering with each other.

Finally, they both seemed to calm down, though both still had scowls on their faces as the younger man placed a tall bottle of hard scotch onto the counter beside the woman's bottles of wine. Tentatively, he keyed in the order and pressed the subtotal button on the register.

"$68.35, and would you like a bag for these?" He inquired, preemptively reaching down to grab the paper holders for the bottles. As he watched, the woman reached behind her to presumably grab her wallet, but the shiny metal gun that she pointed at his face instead made him freeze.

"Just back away from the register or things will get worse from here." She said bitterly, almost angry directed towards her _partner_ rather than himself. Expression changing to one of resentment, the owner glared at the two robbers, slowly backing away from the counter. Her male companion started towards the side of the counter to go for the register, but the sound of a door opening in the back made them pause.

Lexi watched as the man's eyes widened, and she narrowed her own. "Go find them." She told Law, and he nodded after only the shortest pause, producing his own gun from his belt. He disappeared behind the corner, down a side hall, and Lexi noticed the man looked about ready to scream. She clicked the hammer of the gun back, raising her brows. "Ah ah, no talking or I'll tell him to shoot whoever he finds back there on site."

Hesitantly closing his mouth, the store owner kept his hands up beside his head as he was lead to the side of the shop at the point of Lexi's gun. She instructed that he get on his knees. Law rounded the corner with a teary-eyed woman, holding her hands behind her head with a sniffle. She sat beside him on the floor, and Law caught Lexi's eye.

"Go grab the cash."

"I was already on my way to do that."

Law rolled his eyes, scoffing. "Then quit bitching and do it already."

Making it apparent Lexi didn't appreciate his tone, she huffed and went off to the front to open the register. She heard the woman crying out, pleading for their release, and the store owner's gruff command for her to stay quiet. He seemed calmer than the situation called for, and Lexi knew the outcome of that particular trait when Law was around. He already had a problem with authority. Snarky or confident hostages never lasted long at the end of his gun.

Lexi gathered up all the money she could find, counting it out with precision. It was well over a thousand, much better than their last haul. After stuffing it in a bag, she returned to her lover's side, eyeing the two hostages with indifference.

"Just kill them and let's go." She instructed, her sour mood from before still bleeding into the command. Growling in the back of his throat, Law defiantly switched the aiming of his gun from the man to the woman, pulling the trigger with a loud bang. The man yelled in anguish, the woman from pain, but he obviously hadn't been targeting a fatal point in her body, leaving her writhing on the ground in terror.

" _I_ decide when they die." He responded coldly, staring her straight in the face. That chill ran through Lexi again, but her anger was flaming far too hot to really register the slight fear.

"You bastards!" The man screamed, looking upon the curled-up body of who they both assumed to be his wife. He rose to his feet, lunging towards Law with murder in his intent. Law was barely able to bring the gun up fast enough to shoot him in the stomach before he was barreled over, though he was forced to stagger out of the way as the man fell to the floor with a cry. He clutched at his bleeding stomach, eyes filled with hate as he looked up at his would-be killers.

Instead of focusing his attention to Law, he looked straight into her eyes, baring his teeth both to try tolerating the pain and show his hatred. "Some daughter you…must be. You must make…your father so… _proud!"_ He mocked.

Lexi's eye twitched. Law saw her face becoming expressionless, and he was just about to shoot the man again for insulting his woman, but he never got the chance. Roaring her anger, Lexi snatched the gun from her belt and fired her entire magazine of rounds from her pistol into the man on the floor.

 _"You don't know anything about me or my father!"_ She screamed, never relenting her barrage of shots into the man even as he spasmed and twitched on the ground, finally growing still from either loss of blood or just finally dying.

Even after she'd exhausted the six bullets in her gun, Lexi continued to pull the trigger, nothing but empty clicks coming from her weapon. She breathed heavy, murder quite heavy in her eyes as she stared down at the bloodied body. The woman who Law had yet to kill screamed and moaned in the corner, mourning the loss of her husband.

But Law, who could only stand there and watch the scene in fascination and… _lust_ , bit his lip as she swayed on her feet a bit, her adrenaline mostly spent. Her clothes were splattered with blood, some flecks of it even landing on her face. Not once since they'd started this adventure did she ever lose control like that. Not once had she intentionally shot to prolong suffering or cause extreme pain. Lexi always went for the kill with her first bullet. But this… _this…_ unbridled spark of sadism caused all the anger from the past few minutes to melt away, replaced instead by the strongest urge to pin her against the wall and feel those emotions for himself.

In fact.

Tired of hearing the woman's screams on the floor, with barely a glance Law raised his gun and shot the woman in the head, dropping her dead. Law couldn't seem to drag his eyes away from his lovely partner for more than a second, mesmerized by the wild emotion in her face. It was so unrestrained, and beautiful, and the blood only added to the moment, in his opinion.

Lexi's eyes were still glued to the man on the ground, looking slightly insane, and so she did not see Law close the distance between them and sweep her into his arms. She gasped, too surprised to form any words, even as her back roughly was shoved into the nearest wall. In seconds, Law's gun dropped to the floor and his hands plunged underneath her shirt, pushing aside her bra to feel her breasts.

" _Fuck,_ Lex." He groaned with a barely restrained growl, pressing his hard, covered length into her thigh roughly. She stared at his face, noting the half-lidded eyes and lustful stare meant only for her. "The things you do to me…"

It didn't take long for her to get her head back to reality, and she dropped her gun as well, hearing it clatter against the floor. Her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her as she captured his lips in hers. The smallest of whimpers escaped through their kiss as she felt the way he pinched and rolled her nipple underneath her shirt. Normally Law liked to take his time and really make her melt in his arms, but this time he was rough and quick, desperate even. She gasped as his lips left hers and nipped at the edge of her jaw, his hands squeezing and kneading the flesh of her chest.

Lexi's mind was on the things Law was doing to her, feeling that familiar pleasure building in her loins, but it stagnated, remembering the store owner's words not minutes before. "H-he said…about me…" She stuttered, the beginnings of tears welling up in her eyes.

Before she could finish the thought, Law's lips crushed hers again, not even allowing her the time to think. Fuck the old guy who didn't know a goddamn thing. Fuck her asshole foster father who had caused Lexi all this scarring to begin with. All he cared about was making sure she forgot them all, and that he was all that was on her mind.

"L-Law…" She moaned, breaking away from the kiss to gasp in breaths. Thankful that he understood what was bothering her, she threw herself all into his touch. Her fingers tugged at his hair, earning a growl and a throb in the bulge from his jeans. She shuddered, wanting to feel it throb while buried inside her, but there were too many clothes in the way at the moment.

Frantic hands pulled at clothes and rubbed at whatever bare skin they could reach. At some point Lexi remembered they were still in the store, and flipped all the lights off from the switch beside her so it appeared the place was closed. Having someone walk in on them with two dead bodies nearby wouldn't be advantageous to them.

Law picked her up by the thighs, and Lexi wrapped her legs around him to support her as he walked them back behind the counter, lowering her to the floor. It wasn't the most clean or comfortable place to do this, but neither of them really cared, wanting only to feel the other in the most intimate way possible right at that moment.

Law noticed the man's blood that had splattered haphazardly on her face was now smeared all across it, and he was willing to bet he was in the same condition. Lexi hadn't commented on the fact that they were indeed going to have sex with the blood of their victims all over them, but it only sent another shot of pure lust straight to his bare arousal.

He liked this new Lexi. _Very_ much. With the last of his patience, Law stared down at her, committing the image to memory. And then it snapped as she moaned in pleasure from his hands' work, and that insatiable lust took over once again.

* * *

One of the first things Law did upon reaching the next small town was buy a disposable burner cell. Lexi questioned the importance of it, until Law reminded her of what their end goal was.

"Our guy in Europe still has to have a way to contact us, right? Can't be cut off from our only way of stripping our old identities." He'd explained, and that stopped any further questions.

Lexi was behind the wheel, leaning her head on her hand as they waited for Law's guy to contact them again. He'd texted the new phone number to a random number that Lexi didn't recognize. But, she did know that it wasn't their guy directly. Rather, one of Law's guy's guys. She'd always known Law was cautious, especially when it came to anything having remotely to do with his 'father.' But even this seemed a bit of a stretch.

They'd waited half an hour. Then an hour, and still no word from Law's inside man. In the passenger seat, his leg bounced up and down, staring at the screen with a small frown. It wasn't usual that it took this long to get into contact with him.

Finally, not too much longer after that, the phone in Law's hand buzzed. Straightening in his seat, Law swiped the screen and took the call.

"What?" Law said in his usual indifference. There was a slight pause at the end of the line, just as usual.

"What's the difference between a penguin and a whale?" Asked the familiar voice. It was put through a deep filter, morphing the voice and distorting the sound so you couldn't recognize it. Law grinned. He'd answered this a hundred times, but it never ceased to amuse him.

"One knows how to hack into the government and the other is stuck in prison for pedophilia."

The voice on the other end chuckled through the deep filter in response to the correct code phrase, before returning to normal. "Law, good to hear from you, man. Daddy tracked you down again?"

"Like you didn't already know."

"Hey, just thought it would be more polite to ask than to assume." He wasn't surprised Law could basically read him like a book, even over a phone call thousands of miles apart. "Anyways, what can the great Penguin do for you?"

"Wanted to make sure everything was still in place. And to get you the new number to this phone. Had to toss the old one."

"Right-o. Well, things are just the same as before. You get enough money for the plane tickets, plus a bit extra for your old friend here, and you'll be golden. Your new lives are pretty much set up for you already." Law could hear the faint tap of keys on a keyboard in the background. "Cash, id's, a car, and a little house by the beach, just like you asked."

"Good."

"Price is still the same. $100,000. You'll have enough by the time you get to Los Angeles, right?"

Law glanced in the back, eyeing the duffel bag that contained most of the money they'd stolen up to this point. Though some went to traveling around and food, Lexi and Law stuffed most of it away for their end goal.

"We'll get it." He promised, knowing they were a little behind if they wanted to make that amount by the time they naturally got to their destination in California. At this rate, they may have to make a few detours.

"I don't doubt it." Penguin replied, then sighed. "I'm serious, though. After this is all said and done, don't contact me again. This is me repaying all my favors to you, and I don't want to get tangled up in Doflamingo's shit anymore. I've already had enough."

"You won't have to worry about that. We're going completely off the grid. You'll never hear from us again." Law glanced at Lexi, noting the tiny smile that rested on her face at that thought. Seemed she couldn't wait until that new life started. Neither could he. "If anything comes up, keep me posted."

Just as he was about to hang up, Penguin hummed, and Law could only imagine the frown on his friend's face. "What?"

"Well, this may count as something 'coming up.' Looks like the police issued new wanted posters for you." Law felt the phone vibrate again, and he saw a text message from the same number pop up. Frowning, he opened it, seeing the attached picture.

It was of him and Lexi, obviously shot from the liquor store they'd lost targeted. He tensed, wondering how they'd gotten their faces. Then…shit, he remembered. They'd been so busy with each other, they'd forgotten to take the surveillance tapes with them.

"Lex, look." Law angled the phone so she could see, and her eyes widened.

"Shit…" She cursed, shaking her head. "That's all my fault. I spaced it."

"We'll figure things out." He promised, not too worried about it. Really, how many people actually payed attention to those things anyways? Holding up the phone to his ear again, he heard Penguin sigh. "How long ago did they update the pictures?"

"Hmm…these new posters were issued last night. They're circulating them all throughout the West coast, since they've at least kept up with your route thus far. Try to avoid being recognized." Penguin added helpfully.

"Thanks. We'll try." Law said, before hanging up the phone.

"Guess things are gonna be a bit harder from here on out, huh?" Lexi ventured to ask, and Law flashed her his most convincing grin.

"We'll be fine, Lex. Don't be so pessimistic."

She returned with a small smile, not totally convinced but trusting that Law had some sort of plan. Law was smart, even smarter than her despite always complimenting on her intellect. She may be the smaller detail 'brains' of the operation, while Law exuded the brawn and intimidation, but behind that devilish smirk and handsome face was a cunning mind that she was sure knew how to keep them two steps ahead.

Law saw it, that tiny flicker of adoration, of hope. Like she depended on him with her life to have this plan to get them both to Europe in one piece. Jeez, he had a plan, but this was certainly a hoop he hadn't anticipated they needed to jump. They'd been able to get this far without having their faces plastered definitively across the country, which had made things relatively easy. Now, though, with their wanted posters having clear shots of their faces, it made him nervous. But he couldn't let her know that.

* * *

**If you'd like, turn on the song 'Partners In Crime' now for a little mood-setting music. Enjoy! ;)**

* * *

They'd been driving for hours, trekking closer and closer to Los Angeles. Another 100 miles. The last few robberies had put them over their $100,000, and now they just had to make it to the airport. Penguin had already arranged the tickets. The goal was within reach, and both partners could feel the finality of their adventure lurking at the back of their minds. Law slowed the van to a stop in front of the gas pump. Another day of driving and this life would be over, all a nightmare as their new lives began.

Lexi caught Law's eye and smiled, as if reading his mind. He leaned towards her, taking her head in his hands and slowly kissed her. Another day and they wouldn't have to worry about staying on the run. Just one more day.

They separated, and Lexi giggled. "I'll go get us some drinks while you fill up."

Law nodded, watching as she placed the beanie on her head. It mostly concealed her chocolate locks, somewhat disguising her identity. Normally, she'd sport rather large sunglasses, but it would be more suspicious if she wore them so late at night. She opened the door of the van and hopped up, shutting it behind her.

Law turned off the vehicle and flipped up the cowl of his hoodie. He got out of the van, going through the usual routine of filling it with gas. He glanced towards Lexi, who neared the store part of the station. His hands itched, and he stuffed them in his pockets as the pump filled the tank with gas. The urge to go in there guns blazing was stronger than he thought it would be.

It would be stupid, he thought, eyeing the numerous people milling around filling up their cars or exiting from the convenient store inside. Lexi passed through the doors, barring her from his view. He swallowed, narrowing his eyes. It was too populated around here to attempt a heist, and they had what they needed anyways. Best to just hightail it to Los Angeles without incident.

Inside the store, Lexi immediately went to the back where the refrigerated drinks were. She stared at the selection, wondering what Law would want this late at night. So ingrained in the practice of checking for cameras, Lexi's eyes scanning the edge of the ceiling. She would be stupid to try robbing this place. There were too many people and too many witnesses. Still, it didn't stop her from automatically looking.

It was during this instinctive need to search her surroundings that Lexi spotted the circular mirror affixed to the corner of the room. It was a way for the person up front to see to the back of the store without the need for cameras. Still, it gave her a view of the front from where she stood nearly below it.

The cashier was waving silently for the two customers standing at the register to get out quickly. He pointed out the door and gestured in a shooing motion. Then, glancing nervously back at her, they hurried out without much noise.

Her eyes widened as the store owner pulled the head of a phone out from underneath the counter, keeping a close eye on her at the back. Just behind him, she could see the familiar photo of her and Law, displayed blatantly in case they were to happen to wander into the store.

 _Shit. Shitshitshit…_ Lexi thought, forgetting her entire reason to be in the store to begin with. The store was mostly empty, with only another person or two inside with them, but the cashier had done a relatively good job of evacuating everyone inside. Not caring that it would make it obvious she was who they were looking for, Lexi turned tail and ran up the aisle towards the door.

She braced her arms against the bar, expecting it to swing outwards, but she only managed to sail headfirst into the door with a loud crash when it wouldn't open. A moment later, she recovered, pushing and pulling at the door with fervor. It was locked. It wouldn't budge.

"Open the damn door!" She yelled, swinging her gaze to the cashier who was putting down the phone. His expression was solemn, and she registered a moment just in time that he was swinging the heft of a shotgun in her direction.

Lexi ducked down the aisle just as the man pulled the trigger. Her body was shielded from the pellets by the aisles. Snack foods exploded apart, the metal racks rocked back from the force of the blast. The only other person in the place screamed from fear.

"Stay behind the counter!" The store owner shouted at the civilian, and the Lexi could hear running feet do as the man said. Heart in her throat, Lexi grabbed her gun and checked to see how many bullets were in there.

She hid behind a rack, breathing heavy. In all the time they'd been on the run, Lexi had never been put in this much danger. They'd played things smart. Everything was fine. Where in the hell was _Law?_ Lexi couldn't help but angrily but think that he wasn't there. Where was he?

Hearing the cashier coming closer from the end of the aisle, Lexi prepped herself to run over to the next one. She bolted between the gaps in the racks. She ducked behind the next one just as the cashier shot another shell. The glass doors that were behind her shattered, littering the floor in both the sodas and drinks they were displaying and the glass from the doors as they broke.

"You picked the wrong store to come to, princess." The guy cried out, and she heard him reloading his gun. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried formulating a way out of this. The doors, which she assumed were bulletproof glass, were locked and with the store owner armed and obviously willing to use his weapon, Lexi was effectively pinned in this corner.

Surely Law had heard the shots? Surely he'd realized something was wrong? How was she getting out of here? _Think of a plan, Lexi, think of a plan…_

The hostage up front. Without thinking too much about the man currently hunting her down in the store, Lexi bolting down the aisle she was hiding behind, straight towards the counter where the person was cowering. It was a woman, probably no older than her, scrunching herself as small as she could manage herself under the counter.

She spotted Lexi and cried out louder. Lexi pointed the gun at her and hissed for her to stand. Doing as she was told, Lexi held the gun to her head and stood beside her, facing the store owner again.

"One more step and I shoot!" She yelled, slowly inching her way to the side The woman in her arms was blubbering nonsense, terrified beyond her life. The store owner scowled, but kept his shotgun trained on her regardless.

"Let the girl go. She's innocent." He tried reasoning.

"I said step back!"

Knowing that he was at the disadvantage here, he visibly swallowed his anger and did take a cautionary step backwards. Slowly the shotgun lowered from his hands, until it was pointed to the ground.

Lexi heard a noise somewhere to her side, and she glanced nervously in that direction. Still, her gun was trained on the woman. If it were the cops, they wouldn't come close when she was armed with a hostage.

To her surprise and relief, Law stepped through, gun drawn, and took only one second to survey what was happening. The store owner tried bringing his shotgun up in time to shoot at Law, but the younger man took a well-aimed shot straight through the man's head. He dropped like a rock, tumbling to the floor as the gun clattered away from his hands.

The woman in Lexi's arms screamed, trying to scramble away, but Lexi growled. "Sit the fuck still!" She hissed, and luckily the woman obeyed.

"We have to go. I heard sirens." He explained, taking only a moment to grab the owner's shotgun from the floor. Nodding in agreement, Lexi dragged the woman along with her back where Law had emerged from. He lead them through a hallway that opened to a back door. The van was parked right outside. Law went straight for the driver's seat, and Lexi opened the passenger door, shoving the woman inside. "Sit down and don't move."

Lexi climbed in right next to her, making sure she didn't try anything funny. Law started the ignition and stomped on the gas pedal, rocketing the big van forward as fast as it possibly could. Law had been right about the sirens. Lexi could hear them too, coming closer even as they turned off the nearest street and headed towards the highway entrance.

" _I have a family please let me go I won't ever say anything have mercy I beg of you…"_ The woman continued spouting a sputtered stream of pleas and cries. Lexi tensed her jaw, knowing that if having a hostage wasn't so valuable, she'd shove the gun straight into her mouth and pull the trigger.

"Shut her up already!" Law yelled form the front. Just the rage from his voice alone seemed to do the trick, because she resorted to whimpering under her breath rather than openly voicing her terror, plunging the interior of the vehicle into relative silence.

"Where we going, babe?" Lexi asked, letting some of the fear leak through her voice.

"I don't know! I'll figure something out!"

Lexi could see his tense shoulders, head facing forward as he tried formulating where they should go from there. Within a minute, the sirens were loud and irritating, and Lexi started to see red and blue lights dancing in the cabin through the back window.

"We've got company, babe!"

"I know." He gruffed, suddenly veering them through a red light. Cars honked as they sped by, but at least they hadn't crashed. The tired on the van screeched in protest, but somehow they didn't flip over as Law sharply spun the wheel, careening the vehicle down a side road, it's occupants being tossed to the side with the momentum.

"Pull over the van!" A megaphone behind them sounded, the pursuit from the police behind them never easing.

Lexi's heart pounded in her chest. The terror of being caught almost made her freeze in place, but Law's eye looking at her in the rearview mirror caught her attention. "I'm not giving up, Lex. I'm not giving you up."

Lexi stared back, mouth slightly agape, as she let the words sink in. Law was there. He was there for her. Even if they didn't make it out of this alive, he was there. That was the most she could ask for. That she wasn't alone. And that she was with the only one who ever loved her.

Finding a new courage and determination to help Law get as far as he could, Lexi reached across the woman beside her and opened the van door. The wind whooshed past as they sped down the streets, and the woman screamed, realizing what Lexi was going to do.

_"Please, no!"_

Ignoring her cries and steeling her heart, Lexi planted her foot against the woman's chest and shoved her as hard as she could out the opening. She hit the ground but was gone a moment later, already several hundreds feet behind them as Lexi closed the door. Climbing up to the passenger seat, Lexi reloaded what bullets were gone from her pistol, snapping it closed with a flick of her wrist.

"I'll see if I can't discourage these guys." She said, ignoring the tendrils of fear beginning to creep up her spine at the implications of what she was about to do. This was for Law, and for him she'd do anything it took.

Law glanced over at her in bot concern and surprise. "Lex-"

"I'm not giving up on you either, babe. You are everything. If I lose you, I may as well be dead." She said, then rolled down her window to let the sirens grow louder without the protection of the glass. Letting loose a pent up breath, she twisted to face backwards at the cars chasing them, lights providing an easy reference to shoot out in the darkness.

Lexi's shots echoed into the night, and at least one went through the windshield of the closest car. It swerved for a moment, before fading off to the right somewhere. However two more cars were directly behind it, replacing it and pulling up closer to try cornering them somehow.

"Shots fired! Shots fired!" Someone called through the megaphone, informing the rest of the units to proceed with caution.

Fearing retaliating fire, she ducked back into the cabin, opening the glove compartment for more ammo. "Hang onto something!" Law yelled, and she braced herself against the door. At that point he'd had gotten them to the freeway entrance, and he swerved them straight up the roadway, picking up greater speed as the volume of cars surrounding them lessened.

"Stop the car!" Another megaphone boomed behind them, but Lexi scowled. Finished loading her pistol, she popped out from the window and continued her shots at the police. Most of them missed but they still tried evasive maneuvers to not be hit by her bullets, which ultimately slowed them down a tiny bit.

Overhead, Lexi heard the familiar sound of a helicopter's propellers. A moment later, a bright white, blinding light spotlighted them as they flew down the highway, dodging cars left and right as they passed. "Get back in here!" Law tugged at the back of her shirt, forcing her inside the cabin. She rolled up the window but kept her gun up, just in case.

A police car tried catching up with them on the left side, but Law swerved the van that direction, plowing into the side of the police car and sending it crashing into the median. His eyes were locked on the road in front of him, narrowing them in both concentration and the growing fear that they wouldn't be making it out of here alive.

"Lex." He said calmly, knowing that their fate was quickly closing in. The helicopter circled above, keeping up with their high speed.

"What?" She asked, panting in panic and the adrenaline coursing through her body. Law sighed, eyes lowering in defeat.

"Lexi." He said softer, gaining her attention. "There's no way outta this."

"Shut up! We'll think of something." She cried, tears pricking the corners of her eyes. No. No way would Law be giving up. No way, not now. Not when they had gotten so close to getting out of the country. So close to starting over and becoming new people. Her frantic eyes searched for some solution to their problem, as if it would appear right in front of them.

"I'm not going down without a fight, but-"

"Law stop!" She yelled, turning to regard him again. "We're going to Europe and starting a new life. We're gonna have a cat and a few puppies and a bunch of little miniature Law's running around in our beach house, remember?" The tears were streaming down her face at this point, and Law kept switching his gaze to her, then back to the road. "You promised you'd get us out of here, away from my dad and from Doflamingo! You promised!"

For a moment, he was silent, just staring out into the highway as the helicopter circled in front of them once more. Then, his signature smirk that she loved so much returned, and he reached over to take her hand. "I know, Lex. We're not just giving up. We're riding this out as long as it'll go."

She smiled, nodding as she sucked in the remaining tears. He turned to her, grinning just like he always did when she was scared or alone, or just in need of comfort.

"'Til death do us part, right?" He said, bringing up a memory from long ago. She smiled, opening her mouth to respond-

But the bullet piercing the windshield from the helicopter above, Law's head jerking to the side, and his blood splattering over the inside of the van stopped her before she could say anything. Lexi's heart stopped, seeing the love of her life slumping over in his seat.

" _LAW_!" The scream ripped from her throat, and she tried reaching for him, but the car swerved, sending them careening off the side of the road into the grassy wilderness. The forest that lined the highway approached at incredible speed, but Lexi's agony at losing her partner meant she did not notice the impending crash before it happened.

Lexi was thrown against her seatbelt. For a moment, there was a lapse in memory, though the high-pitched ringing in her ears, followed by what she could have sworn was the car radio playing somewhere, and the shattering of glass did fade in and out of her consciousness. Everything hurt. Everything was in pain.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the blank face of the only love of her life. She choked up, seeing the blood flowing steadily from the bullet hole in his forehead. He was lifeless, staring off into space. Those eyes she loved so dearly, this man she had admired beyond her own life. Just gone.

Lexi sobbed in her seat, grip tightening on the gun still clutched in her hand. She couldn't feel her legs, and with a resignation only a person who knew they had run out of time could feel, she looked down to see the wreckage of the front of the car had impaled into her legs. If they hadn't been taken off by the crash, she would most certainly be an amputee for the rest of her life. The strength was draining from her with each pump of blood that spilled into the carpet below. And yet strangely for as horrid and sickening the sight was, Lexi could feel nothing besides the pain in her heart. Everything had gone so horribly wrong. Why did this all have to happen? Why did it have to-

"Open the door and get out of the car!" A loud voice screamed in her ear. She winced, slowly turning her head to see the silhouette of a police officer in the broken window beside her. The white headlights from the car behind him made it impossible to see his face, but Lexi could care less.

She had nothing left to live for.

Tightening her hand around the grip of the gun with what little strength she had left, her other blindly seeking out Law's cold hand, Lexi shakily brought the barrel to point towards the uniformed man, who continued to step closer, his own weapon pointed straight at her. He yelled something she couldn't understand, but the gun never wavered in her grip. Her fingers closed over the lifeless ones of her partner, and she smiled minutely. Cocking the hammer back-

There was a shot, and Lexi felt nothing after that.

* * *

The officer watched as the woman's head twitched from the shot, then slumped to her chest. There was no other movement from the vehicle, even after several seconds of waiting. Slowly creeping forward, he realized that in the crash the radio had been turned on, some malfunction in the wiring of the car when it had collided with the tree, and was softly, eerily playing a song between the two dead robbers.

_You never took us alive._

_We swore that death would do us part,_

_So now we haunt you in the dark._

_You never took us alive._

_We live as ghosts among these streets,_

_Lovers and partners,_

_Partners in crime._


End file.
